Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 44
Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D., Ed.

31. Thereafter the cities of the region did the same, the turn of their thoughts being assisted by the mildness and justice of the Roman praetor. [2] Next he arrived at Scodra, the centre of resistance not only because Gentius had appropriated it as the citadel for his whole kingdom, but also because it is the best-fortified town of the Labeate tribe, and is hard to approach. [3] Two rivers surround it, the Clausal flowing by on the side of the city which faces eastward, the Barbanna on the west side, flowing from the Labeate Lake. (These two streams after joining fall into the Oriundes River¹ which rises on Mount Scordus, is swelled by many other streams, and falls into the Adriatic Sea. [4] Mount Scordus, by far the highest of that region, overlooks Dardania to the eastward, Macedonia to the south, and the Illyrian region to the west.) [5] Although the town was fortified by its surroundings and the whole nation of the Illyrians, as well as their, king, was defending it, nevertheless the Roman praetor decided that since his first moves had met with success, good fortune in the campaign as a whole would follow these beginnings, and that a fast-moving threat would be efficacious; [6] so he advanced to the wall with his army in formation. [7] If well-placed forces had shut the gates and defended the walls and gate-towers, they [p. 193]would have routed the Romans from the wall and² made their attempt worthless; as it was, they sallied from the gate and on level ground joined battle with more spirit than they maintained. [8] For they were routed and huddled in flight, while over two hundred fell in the very mouth of the gate, and they [9??] brought in with them such panic that Gentius at once sent representatives named Teuticus and Bellus, leading men of the nation, to the praetor to ask for a truce so that the king might deliberate over his situation. [10] When he was given three days for this purpose, he boarded a ship, since the Roman camp was about half a mile from the city, and sailed up the Barbanna River to Lake Labeate, as if seeking a secluded spot for taking council; actually, as became evident, he was stirred by an unfounded hope that his brother Caravantius³ would arrive with many thousands of soldiers gathered in the region to which he had been sent. [11] After the talk about this had evaporated, on the third day he brought the same ship downstream to Scodra. [12] First sending messengers to secure an opportunity for addressing the praetor and on being given the opportunity, he came into camp. At the outset of his speech he began by blaming his own stupidity, and at the end gave himself up to entreaties and a flood of tears, and falling at the praetor's knees, put himself into his hands. [13] Immediately he was bidden to take heart, and after being invited to dinner, returned to his own people in the city. [14] On that day he was banqueted with marks of distinction by the praetor, and then put under the guard of Gaius Cassius, tribune of the soldiers, after [p. 195]having received a mere ten talents, hardly the fee of⁴ a gladiator, though he [15??] was a king dealing with a king, to induce him to sink to such misfortune.